U.S. grants visas to Flavio Bolsonaro after he leaves Brazil

Flavio Bolsonaro, a Brazilian senator, has departed for the United States following his loss in Sunday’s presidential election. The U.S. State Department announced that it will issue entry visas to him and his family. This move follows his refusal to comply with a Supreme Court order to hand over his canceled passports.

The senator lost the election to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He had received 60 million votes in the runoff. A money laundering probe is underway, and Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing in that case. The Supreme Court ordered his passports seized on Monday, citing the risk of him fleeing the country and his access to financial resources.

Bolsonaro left Brazil on Tuesday night. Argentina’s migration department reported that he and his family entered the Misiones province through a road crossing with valid travel documents. They then boarded a private plane operated by Baires Fly at 11:30 pm local time. The flight plan listed Guayaquil, Ecuador, as the destination. The current location of Bolsonaro, his wife, and his two daughters was not immediately clear.

U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the situation with reporters. He stated that he had heard Bolsonaro was in Argentina and said he would approve of the senator coming to the United States. “I think they’re fine people. The election was very strange, and I thought it was terrible,” Trump said. He added that the market reaction showed how serious the situation had become.

A senior State Department official confirmed the visa decision. “The State Department will issue visas to Flavio Bolsonaro and his family and allow them entry into the United States,” the official said. Lula criticized the departure in Brasilia, calling it shameful. He argued that Bolsonaro should have stayed in Brazil to prove his innocence.

Bolsonaro’s campaign manager, Senator Rogerio Marinho, said the departure caught the team off guard. Marinho noted that the team had discussed the need for Bolsonaro to lead the opposition the previous day. Bolsonaro’s younger brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, lives in the United States. He said earlier this month that he favored his brother leaving the country if he lost the election.

Bolsonaro loses his immunity from prosecution when his Senate term ends in February. His father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, also traveled to the United States after losing the 2022 election. The elder Bolsonaro later returned to Brazil and received a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup.